| Home > Cruise Lines > Princess > Princess Cruise Ships > Sterling Cruises About Us | | |  | |  |  |  | 
|  |  | | | | | PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS
Many countries require your passport to be valid for six months from the completion of your travel. Check your passport to ensure it will be valid for this period of time. Please ensure the name on the passport matches the name on the booking. Additionally, ensure your passport contains blank pages for entry and exit endorsements and any visas that may be required. If necessary, allow sufficient time to renew your passport and/or obtain additional pages.
A valid passport is required of all non-U.S. and non-Canadian citizens for all itineraries. It is also required of all U.S. and Canadian citizens sailing on non-domestic itineraries including Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, India, Central and South America, South Pacific and Tahiti.
While we strongly recommend that all passengers travel with a valid passport, it is not mandatory for U.S. and Canadian citizens to travel with a passport when sailing domestic itineraries, including Alaska, Caribbean, Hawaii, Bermuda, Mexico, Panama Canal and Canada and New England.* It is your responsibility to know the current requirements and have the proper documents required for your itinerary. Check with your travel agent, or visit the State Department's website at www.travel.state.gov, or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's website at www.dhs.gov to verify passport requirements. In addition, a passport is the recommended form of identification and unquestionably proves your citizenship.
For itineraries in which a passport is not required, U.S. and Canadian citizens who do not have a valid passport must provide the following proof of citizenship: A naturalization certificate or an original certified birth certificate from the state of their birth (a hospital certificate will not suffice) together with a valid, government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license. Although recommended, photo identification is not required for those 18 years and younger at the time of this writing. U.S. Resident Aliens are required to present, in addition to a valid passport, a valid Alien Resident card. Canadian permanent residents are required to present a valid Permanent Resident card in addition to a valid passport. On domestic cruises, ensure your travel documents are valid through the completion of travel.
*The U.S. State Department has recently proposed the "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative". If enacted, U.S. and Canadian citizens will be required to carry a passport for travel to or from certain countries that were previously exempt. If enacted, as of December 31, 2006, all U.S. and Canadian citizens will be required to travel with a valid passport when re-entering the United States from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico, Central and South America, and Panama Canal.
NOTE: Please click here to read the latest U.S. State Department announcement concerning passport use. These new requirements go into affect as early as December 31, 2005.
VISAS
Visa requirements for U.S. and Canadian citizens are listed on your Travel Summary under "Your Notification," if applicable. All other nationalities including those with U.S. or Canadian resident status are responsible for verifying visa requirements for each port visited during the cruise.
IMPORTANT: Visa and documentation requirements vary by destination and do change from time to time without prior notice. Be sure to check with the consulate of each country you will visit, or visa service to verify current regulations. It is your obligation to have proper travel documentation. Please be aware that for travel to some countries, the visa application process can take up to 60 days. Please reconfirm visa requirements 5-7 days prior to your cruise.
VACCINATIONS
Information regarding required vaccinations for your cruise or cruisetour is listed on your pre-cruise letter or on your Travel Summary under "Your Notification," if applicable. Be sure to check with the consulate of each country you will visit to verify current requirements. It is your obligation to have the proper travel documentation.
IMPORTANT: Vaccination requirements vary by destination and do change from time to time. Please check with your travel agent or contact the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov/travel to verify current regulations.
DOCUMENTS FOR PASSENGERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18
Several countries require special documentation for children traveling without both parents; these requirements are subject to change without notice. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess the proper documents for all of the countries that you will visit. Please verify requirements with the immigration offices prior to your cruise.
HEALTH MATTERS
We recommend seasonal influenza vaccinations for all passengers. Furthermore, you are strongly urged to seek advice from your primary care physician or an approved public health advisory service to identify any specific vaccination or health precautions required for each port of call. For example, you may wish to reference the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int/ith) or the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (www.cdc.gov/travel). Some countries strictly enforce certain health requirements. Failure to comply may result in the local authorities preventing passengers from going ashore and some may impose a monetary fine or deny the ship entry into the port.
If you take any regular medications, you are strongly advised to carry these in your hand luggage and also take extra supplies to cover any unexpected circumstances. If you have received treatment for any significant medical condition, please carry a recent report along with any pertinent information from your treating physician.
Pregnancy: Princess cannot accept passengers who will have entered the 28th week of pregnancy by the end of the vacation.
We strongly recommend you review your health insurance coverage before cruising. Many policies, including Medicare, will not pay for services or hospitalization outside of the country or emergency evacuation. If you did not buy Princess Travel Care, which is available for purchase up to the time of final payment of your cruise fare, we recommend that you secure other travel protection. For details on the plan, please contact the Princess Travel Care Help Line at 1-800-453-4069.
PRINCESS ACCESS
Princess makes every effort to accommodate our passengers with disabilities. Have your travel agent notify us of your wheelchair usage and/or any special needs prior to sailing. We have wheelchair accessible staterooms on all Princess ships. If you require a mobility device, you must provide your own. You can pre-reserve a wheelchair and have it and other medical equipment delivered to the ship by contacting CareVacations at
1-877-478-7827 or at www.cruiseshipassist.com. When bringing your own wheelchair, we highly recommend collapsible wheelchairs, as the width of the stateroom doors varies. Some Princess ships have areas that are not wheelchair accessible.
Accessibility varies widely on pre- and post-cruise land tours and hotel packages. Not all providers have lift-equipped transportation options and when available, arrangements must be secured in advance. The maximum weight of the wheelchair and the guest cannot exceed 600 lbs. If the combined weight of the wheelchair, guest and attendant exceed 600 lbs., the attendant will provide stability and reassurance from the ground or from inside the coach rather than from the lift platform itself. For pre- or post-cruise land tours, please call the Tour Quality Department at 1-800-627-4212 with questions or concerns.
If you have purchased a Princess Transfer at the start or end of the cruise, be aware that lift-equipped transportation may not be available in your port of embarkation or disembarkation. When available, arrangements must be secured in advance; therefore, we ask that you contact us at 1-800-PRINCESS.
Passengers utilizing mobility devices with batteries are advised that the batteries must be a dry cell type and must be stored and recharged in their stateroom. Mobility devices of any kind may not be left in hallways.
Because we are not staffed with specially-trained personnel to assist passengers with physical challenges, we recommend you be accompanied by someone who is physically able to assist you both onboard and ashore if necessary. Travelers with disabilities should check in with the onboard Tour Office to ensure all pre-reserved tours can accommodate their needs. Not all port facilities are easily accessible for those using mobility devices. Ports of call may be accessed by a variety of methods including, but not limited to, a ramped gangway, series of steps or by tender. In some cases, you may be able to access the tender; however, the shoreside facility is not accessible. With your safety and comfort in mind, the decision to permit or prohibit passengers from going ashore will be made on each occasion by the ship's Captain, and the decision is final. Those ports which normally use tenders to access the shore are noted on the itinerary.
In many ports of call a mechanism known as a "stair climber" is used to assist passengers up and down the gangway. This requires that passengers transfer to a Princess wheelchair which is then connected to the stair climber and operated by the ship's personnel. If you cannot transfer or your personal mobility device cannot be easily disembarked due to size or weight, you may be precluded from going ashore.
If you are traveling with a service animal, please be aware that Princess requires notice in advance. Entry regulations vary from port to port, and there are some ports that prohibit the landing of animals altogether. Passengers are advised to consult the local authorities at each port of call prior to departure for the necessary documentation. Princess does not provide food for service animals. The choice of dog litter material is limited and varies by ship and location.
Princess ships are equipped with "All-In-One Kits" including a TTY that can be placed in most passenger cabins and arranged at Princess Wilderness Lodges. Additionally, all televisions onboard provide closed captioning and most onboard theaters are equipped with assistive listening devices. Electric outlets in most staterooms are limited to one and it is helpful to travel with an extension cord if you are using equipment for sleep. Princess is pleased to have available JAWS Professional software with KOSS-TD/80 headset available on one terminal in each Internet Café on every Princess ship.
CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
To avoid having to pay customs tax on previously-owned property upon re-entry, U.S. residents should have a receipt for, or should register with customs prior to departure, their foreign-made cameras, expensive jewelry, video cameras, radios, and other electronic equipment. Customs will issue a certificate of ownership, so you can avoid duty and taxes upon your return. For details, write to the Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service, Washington, D.C. 20229 for a copy of "Know Before You Go". Canadian residents can write to the Customs Office, 333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 5R4 for a copy of "I Declare" or can contact their local customs office.
SECURITY
At Princess Cruises, we want you to have a safe and enjoyable voyage. As a result, we take the safety and security of our passengers and crew very seriously. Princess Cruises has one of the largest security operations in the industry. We continually review the security situations at every port we visit. Sometimes, we reschedule a port call to another location for a variety of reasons, and we beg your indulgence in this regard.
Princess also prides itself on its compliance with U.S. federal legislation designed to safeguard each and every voyage. All passengers are required to submit their names and personal data to Princess prior to embarkation and are also asked to leave any questionable items at home. No weapons or articles which could be used as weapons will be allowed onboard and all passengers and luggage/carry-on items are subject to screening prior to boarding the ship. Princess works hard to ensure that every passenger on our cruises will experience a comfortable and worry-free environment.
REACHING YOU AT SEA
To provide greater peace of mind while you're away from home, give friends and relatives the following information on how to telephone you. For all ships in the Princess fleet, call 1-900-329-SHIP (1-900-329-7447) from the United States or 1-900-565-2800 from Canada to bill your telephone*. Calls can also be charged to a credit card in both the United States and Canada by dialing 1-877-656-7447. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card (not Canadian) are all accepted. The cost for each call is $8.95 USD per minute or $11.95 CAD per minute.
The 900 service can also be used to fax the ship*. Please include passenger name and cabin number to ensure quick delivery.
For calls originating outside of the United States and Canada, the following numbers should be used, preceded by your country's International Direct Dialing (IDD) code and the appropriate ocean code. (Please contact your long distance service provider for pricing.) For example, if you would like to call the Tahitian Princess in the Pacific from the United Kingdom, dial 00 872 323 600 089.
| SHIP | SHIP CALL SIGN | PHONE NUMBER | | Caribbean Princess | ZCDG8 | 331 042 310 | | Coral Princess | ZCDF4 | 331 037 610 | | Dawn Princess | ZCBU2 | 331 043 710 | | Diamond Princess | ZCDF8 | 331 040 410 | | Golden Princess | ZDCA9 | 331 034 411 | | Grand Princess | ZCBU5 | 331 032 720 | | Island Princess | ZCDG4 | 331 038 410 | | Pacific Princess | ZDDY7 | 323 600 087 | | Regal Princess | ZCBU4 | 331 043 910 | | Sapphire Princess | ZCDG7 | 331 040 510 | | Sea Princess | ZCBU3 | 331 046 510 | | Star Princess | ZCDD6 | 331 036 110 | | Sun Princess | ZCBU6 | 331 043 810 | | Tahitian Princess | ZDDY8 | 323 600 089 |
|
*900 telephone service is not available from all areas, and may not be accessible from your home phone. Staying in touch is made even easier onboard a Princess vessel by accessing the Internet in our onboard Business Centers and/or Internet Cafés. For details regarding this service, please see the section entitled: INTERNET SERVICES. |
|
|
| |  | |  | | | | | |
|
| | |
|  |  | | | | | |  | |  | | | Princess Cruises from: | Acapulco, Mexico
Auckland, New Zealand
Bangkok, Thailand
Barcelona, Spain
Bridgetown, Barbados,WI
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Callao /Lima, Peru
Cape Town, South Africa
Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
Copenhagen, Denmark
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Galveston, Texas
Honolulu, Hawaii
Los Angeles, California
Manaus, Brazil
Mumbai (Bombay), India
New Orleans, Louisiana
New York, New York
Osaka, Japan
Papeete, French Polynesia
Quebec City, Quebec
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
San Francisco, California
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Seattle, Washington
Singapore, Singapore
Southampton, England
Sydney, Australia
Valparaiso / Santiago, Santiago
Vancouver, British Columbia
Venice, Italy
Whittier, Alaska |
| |  | |  | | | | | |
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | | |
|
